Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 08:43:05 +0000
From: "Matthew Hanson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: [LIB] David's Hitachi 20GB HDD
>Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 19:22:03 -0800 (PST)
>From: David Chien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> > You created a 4GB partition right after the 250MB partition using > PM
>to copy the 250MB partition with its data (PM can do this?), and > then
>'paste', so to say, after the first partition, and then > resizing it?
>Sounds like you end up with the first partition as a > 250MB part., and a
>4GB and a 2nd part. after it... and both parts. > containing the same data.
>
> Yep. This way, I always have a working, bootable partition on my HD
>that I can go back to in case the other booting partitions get thrashed and
>damaged (hopefully , not to the point where I can't even boot into DOS and
>get to partition magic's pqboot.exe to switch primary booting partitions).
>
> This let's me install more Win98SE partitions on my HD (let's say one
>for games) w/o having to gather all the required setup files, w/o accessing
>any more CDs or floppy drives, and let's me easily restore from my HD
>images on the secondary partitions in case the primary partitions I've
>installed besided this 250MB partition gets virus/damaged/destroyed/etc.
>w/o a CD-ROM and floppy drive attached for backup source.
An interesting approach. I've always created Ghost backup files, and either
left them on some partition, or copied them to CD-R disks. But I seem to be
either the only one, or one of few who can set up a CD-ROM driver to enable
me to access the CD-ROM from a HDD boot into DOS. Must have been something
to do with this EXP CD-ROM that otherwise has not been overly impressive.
> > > So I put it in, setup another two partitions (extended, > >logical)
>for data beyond the 20GB point,
> >
> > Do you mean 'BEFORE' the 20GB point? EG, put two parts up agains > the
>end of the space, leaving room before them at that 8.4GB > hibernation
>point?
>
> Nope, these two 'unimportant' data partitions are sitting after the
>8.4GB boundary hibernation data space point. I don't care if they
>disappear since they've only got useless stuff like MP3 music files.
Okay... after the 8.4GM boundary, but "two partitions ... for data beyond
the 20GB point.." seems like a physical impossibility, since there should be
nothing beyond 20GB on a 20GB HDD. But then I always wonder if there might
be something beyond the physical universe of interstellar space... so I'm
open to the concept! ;-)
> > > Got an empty 4GB just after the second 4GB primary partition I > > >
> haven't used yet
> >
> > Sounds like you ended up with 2 4GB parts. at the front end of the >
>drive. Won't fdisk let you start off by creating a 4GB part. to > begin
>with?
>
> Nope.
>
> HD partition
> =Start of HD=
> 250 MB DOS primary bootable partition (hidden)
> 4GB Win98SE primary bootable partition (active)
> 4GB or so of non-partitioned space, all the way up to and beyond
>the 1024 cylinder area where the hibernation partition resides.
> 8GB or so, extended logical data partition
> 4GB or so, extended logical data partition
> =End of HD=
Okay... this makes things a bit more clear. From what you'd written, I'd
lost track of how many partitions you had before 8.6GB, and where they were.
I see you leave your 'backup' 250MB partition at the beginning of the drive
space, and use the 2nd 4GB part. For your primary bootable part. & OS. I've
always made the first partition the primary bootable active partition out of
habit, as I've always heard that Windows prefers to be there. But I assume
you're using S.C. and/or P.M., and in that case, maybe Windows doesn't care
so much where it is.
> FDISK can only create one primary bootable active partition, not two. I
>have to either create the 250MB primary partition first, or the 4GB one,
>then copy using Partition Magic.
Oh yeah... It seems like fdisk only allows you to create a second primary
partition for creating extended partitions inside of it, or something like
that. It's been a while since I've even used fdisk to do much since I got
P.M. years back. I've probably used fdisk once for each 10 uses of P.M.
> > > PGPDisk 6.02i (www.pgpi.com) installed as well on the second > >
>data partition to keep hidden stuff hidden.
> >
> > Do you have to use PM to unhide the 2nd part. in order to access > the
>data?
>
> 1st and 2nd extended logical data partitions are always active and
>visible. Otherwise, I'd use PM to make them visible/hidden.
Now that you've laid out where your parts. are, I understand better. When
you said, "PGPDisk ... installed ..on the second data partition to keep
hidden stuff hidden," I thought you were saying that you put PGPDisk on a
hidden part. (to keep hidden stuff hidden). And for some reason I assumed
your OS was on the 1st part..
> > Would I have to have to wipe the free space if I had just created > and
>formatted the partition? Seems like it shouldn't have any data > written
>there at that point.
>
> Yes. All modern HDs get tested at the factory and are written with data
>already throughout the HD. Even though you say the partition is empty, it
>really has data in those sectors.
Hah... I didn't know this... but it'd make sense that the drives would be
tested at the factories by writing data to them. Of course there's no
reason for them to zero out the space they wrote to... Seems that would be
more time consuming than just freeing up the space in a FAT.
> > Doesn't the system go into hibernation after a set time has elapsed >
>after going into standby? I thought that was the way it works. > 'Standby
> >
>
> Not unless you want it to. The two are exclusive and don't have to
>happen if Standby occurs.
I guess I've always set up a lot of my energy saving propertied via the
Windows "Power Management Properties" I'll set different power schemes
there, and the way the "System Standby' worked there, is that the system
goes through that process of writing data from RAM to the HDD with the
picture depicting the process.
After that process, the system can still be awakened by moving the mouse or
hitting a key. But after a certain time, the whole system shuts down, and
is only powered on again by the power button.
But according to what Pres and Neil wrote a while back, the data from RAM is
written to the HDD immediately be:
----------------------
Neil> - OPTION: Standby Time: After the system is allegedly powered
down, it turns of the disk and processor and goes into
standby. At this point, it can be restarted instantly by
hitting the power button or opening the screen (if enabled).
After a delay equal to the standby time, the image is written
to disk and the system closed down completely.
PRES> not exactly. It writes the hibernate-to-disk image immediately, then
goes to RAM-suspend.
----------------------
If that's right, then using standby should do the same thing that
hibernating does, but a bit faster I'd think since RAM is written to the
HDD, and then the system can be awaken pretty instantly without that picture
of data flowing from the HDD back to RAM. Not a LOT faster than resuming
from hibernation, but a little, and it evidently should do the same thing.
> > amount of time in Standby, the system shuts down. Isn't this >
>'hibernation'? After that point I have to hit the power button to > wake
>the system up.
>
> If and only if you see the screen display the picture of the Libretto
>transfering data to HD is it hibernating. Otherwise, just low-power
>standby mode.
I guess maybe I've just not experienced standby other than seeing that
picture of RAM > HDD transfer. I've just always seen that going into
standby.
> > But you're saying change 'Boot Mode' to "Hibernation Mode" on the >
>'System' tab of 'Power Save Properties'. Do you need to set > 'System Auto
>Off Time' to 'Min'?
>
> No. Just change behaviour of the Power Switch when pressed to Hibernate
>rather than Shutdown. Then, press the Power Switch briefly until it beeps
>and watch the Libretto Hibernate picture in action.
Okay... so this is a manual process of going into hibernation using the
power switch. I've only looked at that function briefly a while back. I
just got into the routine of either selecting 'Standby' from the shutdown
window to force the system into the term I understand better now, called
hibernation ... or having the Windows Power Management do it for me.
> > I guess Windows is using the entire hibernation area to write as > much
>as it possibly can in a specified area as it needs to > hibernate enough
>data that the OS will need to revive. I'm > assuming Windows writes the
>same total
>
> Actually, every bit of RAM, not just a few portions of it.
Yeah... that's a lot more clear now.
Matt
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